Chants and Raps for Grammar

It is quite simple to make up your own chants and raps to help students learn specific vocabulary and/or grammar points - but you do need to make sure that you wording is correct or they will learn it thoroughly and wrong!

The first time you teach a new chant, you can make it simply an Echo Chant, for example:

Eat! Eat!

Teacher: Eat! Eat!Students: Eat! Eat!Teacher: Who eats?Students: Who eats?Teacher: He eats.Students: He eats.Teacher: What does he eat?Students: What does he eat?Teacher: He eats breakfast every day.Students:He eats breakfast every day...... and so on. (Don't make it too long!)

After that you can change it to a Question and Answer or Call and Response chant using the same words, for example:Eat! Eat!Teacher: Eat! Eat!Students: Eat! Eat!Teacher: Who eats?Students: He eats.Teacher: What does he eat?Students:He eats breakfast every day...

Next ...

Now you can switch parts - let a student, or group of students, take the 'teacher's part ... or let students practice it in pairs.And then you can add actions (such as eating actions) and body rhythm (clap, click, slap thighs, stamp ...) for example:Eat! (clap-clap) Eat! (clap )Eat! (clap-clap) Eat! (clap )(clap) Who eats? (clap)He (clap-clap) eats! (clap)What does he eat? (clap)He eats breakfast (clap clap-clap clap clap) every day.

Note: (clap-clap) would be two quick claps, while (clap) is one clap and a pause - make it rhythmical!

Think about the learning outcomes

Make sure that your chant has correct grammar (and pronunciation by you)

Make sure your chant teaches what you want it to teach.

Don't try to include too many learning points in one chant.

Don't make it too long.

Find a way to make sure it is fun.

For example:The chant above teaches the simple present question and answer. "He eats", "He eats breakfast everyday", "What does he eat?"After that, it might be good to create another chant around "What is he eating?", "He is eating rice." to emphasise the difference between Present Simple and Present Continuous which so many ESL learners have problems with.

Substitutions

Use substitutions ... e. g. "What does she eat?" ... to reinforce grammar points and teach vocabulary, such as in this "Likes/Doesn't Like" rap.